International investors attend Ski Jumping World Cup in Willingen

International investors from eleven countries including China, France, India, Japan, South Korea, Sweden, and the USA visited the town of Willingen, located in the region of Waldeck, on January 27. Hessen Trade & Invest GmbH (HTAI) invited them and other Hessen partners to the opening celebration of the FIS Ski Jumping World Cup at the Mühlenkopfschanze ski jumping hill.

“We would like to enable them to experience this fascinating Hessian winter sport as well as familiarize them with the benefits of operating a business in Northern Hessen,” explained Dr. Rainer Waldschmidt, CEO of HTAI. Northern Hessen has a long tradition as a host location for industrial and commercial businesses. Today, the region is home to numerous companies including well known global market leaders such as the Viessmann Group. On the way to Willingen, the international delegation stopped in Allendorf/Eder to visit the Viessmann Group together with representatives of the Waldeck Frankenberg administrative district and the Hessen Ministry for Economic Affairs. A leading worldwide manufacturer of heating, industrial, and cooling systems, Viessmann is also the sponsor of the German ski jumping team.

The approximate 50 guests from eleven countries in attendance represented international companies that have only recently established offices and operations in Hessen. Dr. Waldschmidt stated, “We want to help these companies expand their networks.” Companies operating within networks tend to exhibit significantly more rapid growth than lone warriors and are more resilient with regard to their ability to cope with times of crisis. “Of particular importance to us is the close knit network of business, science, and government as well as the closely coordinated joint efforts involving the economic development agencies at the state, regional, and local levels,” explained HTAI’s CEO.

The Northern Hessian town of Willingen, best known as a popular winter sports venue, has undoubtedly lived up to its name recently in light of the more-than 70 centimeters (27.5 inches) of snow that has fallen over the past few days in the Upland region of the Waldeck administrative district. In order to ensure the continuation of the Ski Jumping World Cup, an event steeped in tradition, a large number of people lent a helping hand to remove the excess snow from the stadium. “A combination of snow and sunshine set the perfect stage for an event to be remembered. The enthusiastic crowd that came to see this exciting sport in action created a very special type of atmosphere,” commented Andreas Damrau, Senior Manager for Investor Services at HTAI. Around 40,000 spectators were expected to fill the Mühlenkopf arena’s stands by Sunday to see the sport’s top-tier athletes soar down the world’s largest ski jump. All hotels and bed and breakfast accommodations in the entire Willingen area were fully booked for weeks leading up to the event.

The town of Willingen (Sauerland) is home to the largest winter sports venue in the Waldecker Land region. According to the Statistical Office of the State of Hessen, at just under one million overnight stays per year Willingen ranks number 4 in Hessen and is by far the state’s most important vacation destination. Only the River Main metropolis Frankfurt am Main (over 8 million), the spa town of Bad Wildungen (1.3 million) and the Hessian state capital of Wiesbaden (1.15 million) recorded more overnight stays than Willingen.